Rein holder and tightener for vehicles.



No. 889,742. PATENI'ED JUNE 2, 1908.

J. ALTMEYER.

REIN HOLDER AND TIGHTENER FOR VEHICLES.

APPLICATION FILED MAY 7, 1907.

224 f M} Z Bag 7 J 20 E m; NORRIS Pzrsn; ca., WASHINGTON, u c

JACOB ALTMEYER, OF EAST SPOKANE, WASHINGTON.

REIN HOLDER AND TIGHTENER FOR VEHICLES. I

Specification of Letters Patent.

Patented June 2, 1908.

Application filed May 7, 1907. Serial No. 372,413.

To all whom it may concern:

Be it known that I, JACOB ALTMEYER, a citizen of the United States,residing at East Spokane, in the county of Spokane and State ofWashington, have invented certain new and useful Improvements in ReinHolders and Tighteners for Vehicles, of which the following is aspecification.

My invention relates to devices for checking runaway draft animals andconsists of a shaft adapted to be thrown into gear with the wheels ofthe vehicle to which the reins are secured so that as the vehicle movesfor- Ward the reins are wrapped on the shaft and the animal is checked.

My invention will be described in detail hereinafter and will beillustrated in the accompanying drawings in which- Figure 1 is a planview of the axle and front wheels of a vehicle showing my inventioninstalled thereon, Fig. 2, a detail view of one .of the wheel hubs andthe gear wheel secured thereto, Fig. 3, a detail view of one of the endsof the shaft, Fig. 1, a detail View of the clamp .for holding the shaftin gear with the vehicle wheels, and Fig. 5, a detail view of one of theslotted arms for supporting the shaft.

In the drawings similar reference characters indicate correspondingparts throughout the several views.

A indicates the front axle of a vehicle, B the wheels and C the thills.Secured to the hub of each wheel B is a gear wheel 1 by means of angularsupports 2, the wheel 1 being provided with radial slots 3 to receivebolts 4 secured through angular su ports 2.

5 indicates arms secured to axle 1 having elongated holes 6 therein, 7indicates a shaft having a universal joint 8 in its middle, the twosections of the shaft being mounted in the holes 6 in arms 5. The middleportion of shaft 7 adjacent to universal oint 8 is supported by aclamping member consisting of an arm 9 secured to axle A and another arm10 having a leaf spring 11 secured thereto and to axle A. The forwardend of arm 10 is provided with a depression. 12 and the arm 9 with adownwardly extending lug 13 on its end to seat in said depression 12.

14 indicates a chain or rope secured to perforated ear 15 on the lowerside of the end of arm 1.0 which asses around pulley 16 journaled underax e A and extends from thence up into the vehicle.

17 indicates a chain or rope secured to a I ring 18 on shaft 7 andpassing around pulley 19 secured to the thills O.

20 indicates a coil spring secured to ring 18 and to axle A.

21 indicates a pinion on each end of shaft 7 having ratchet 22 on itsouter end to engage a pin 23 on the end of the shaft, being held inengagement by means of a coil spring 24.

25 indicates the reins secured to shaft 7.

It will be understood that when chain or rope 17 is pulled the shaft 7is straightened so that the pinions 21 mesh with gear wheels 1 the shaftbeing held in this position by being seated in depression 12 of arm 11.While in this position should the animal start for ward the reins 25would be wrapped on shaft 7 eflectually checking it. It will also beunderstood from my construction that should the animal start in a circleso that only one wheel would be turning in a forward direction theshaft7 will be turned as effectually as if both wheels were turning in aforward direction, the shaft rotating in the pinion in gear with thewheel that is not turning by means of the ratchet on the end of thepinion and the pin on the end of the shaft. By

pulling on chain or rope 14 the arm 10 is drawn down against theresilience of spring 11, shaft 7 is released to the action of spring 20and its jointed portion drawn back towards axle A and the pinions 21thrown out of engagement with gear wheels 1.

In Fig. 5 is shown a modification in which X indicates the rear axle andY the rear wheels of the vehicle, 1 the gear wheel secured to one of therear wheels Y, 2 an arm secured to axle X having a longitudinal slot 3therein, 4 another arm, 5 a shaft journaled at one end in arm 4 andslidably mounted in slot 3*. 6 indicates a pinion secured to the end ofshaft 5 that meshes with the wheel 1 when the shaft is in its rearmostposition, 7 a rod for operating shaft 5 and 8 the reins secured to theshaft.

When tlie shaft 5 is actuated so that the pinion 6 is in mesh with gearwheel 1 a it will be apparent that forward progress of the vehicle willrotate shaft 5 and wind the reins 8 thereon so thatthe animal will bechecked. When the pinion 6 is not in mesh with gear wheel 1 the shaft 5will turn freely and any windings of the reins 8 will be unwrapped.

Having thus described my invention what I claim is 1. In combinationwith the axle of a vehicle, and the wheels thereon, a shaft mounted I onsaid axle consisting of two parts joined by 1 a universal joint, thedriving reins secured to the shaft, means to straighten said shaft or tobreak it at the joint aforesaid, and gearing to connect the shaft andthe wheels, substantially as shown and described.

2. In combination with the axle of a vehicle, and the wheels thereon,gear wheels secured to the hubs of the wheels, a shaft mounted on saidaxle consisting of two parts joined by a universal joint, pinions on theends of the shaft, the driving reins secured to the shaft, means tobreaksaid shaft at the joint to throw the pinions out of mesh with thegear wheels, and means to straighten the shaft so as to throw thepinions into mesh with the gear wheels, substantially as shown anddescribed.

3. In combination with the axle of a vehicle, and the wheels thereon,gear wheels secured to the hubs of the wheels, arms secured to the axlehaving elongated holes therein, a shaft fragment mounted in the hole ineach arm, said shaft fragments joined by a uni versal joint, a pinionsecured to the free end of each shaft fragment and adapted to mesh withone of the gear wheels on the hubs, the driving reins secured to theshaft, means to break said shaft at the joint to throw the pinions outof mesh with the gear wheels, and means to straighten the shaft so as tothrow the pinions into mesh with the gear wheels, substantially as shownand described.

4. In combination with the axle of a vehicle, and the wheels thereon,gear wheels secured to the hubs of the wheels, arms secured to the axlehaving elongated holes therein, a shaft fragment mounted in the hole ineach arm, said shaft fragments joined by a universal joint, a pinionsecured to the free end of each shaft fragment and adapted to mesh withone of the gear wheels on the l hubs, the driving reins secured to theshaft,

a coil spring to normally hold the shaft broken at the universal jointso that the pinions are out of mesh with the gear wheels, means tostraighten the shaft against the resilience of the spring so as to throwthe pin ions into mesh with the gear wheels, and a spring clamp to holdthe shaft in a straight position, substantially as shown and de scribed.

5. In combination with the axle of a vehicle, and the wheels thereon,gear wheels secured to the hubs of the Wheels, arms secured to the axlehaving elongated holes therein, a shaft fragment mounted in the hole ineach arm, said shaft fragments joined by a universal joint, a pinionmounted on the free end of each shaft fragment having ratchets on theirouter ends, a pin on the outer end of each shaft fragment to engage theratchet on the pinion, a spring engaging the other end of the pinion tohold the ratchet and pin in engagement, a coil spring secured to theshaft and the axle to normally hold the shaft broken at the universaljoint so that the pinions are not in mesh with the gear wheels, aflexible member secured to the shaft to straighten the shaft against theresilience of the spring aforesaid so that the pinions mesh with thegear wheels, and a spring clamp to hold the shaft straightened,substantially as shown and described.

In testimony whereof I hereto afiix my signature in the presence of twowitnesses.

JACOB ALTMEYER.

Witnesses:

GEORGE R. LovEJoY, JOHN LUFT.

